√Next-generation Toyota Camry due in 2024
The next Toyota Camry sedan is less than two years away from overseas showrooms – up to two years behind schedule – information uncovered by Drive reveals.
The next-generation Toyota Camry sedan is due in overseas showrooms in 2024 – and expected in Australia late that year or early next – as the Japanese car giant looks to buck the trend of declining sedan sales globally.
Information unearthed by Drive has revealed development of the next-generation Toyota Camry is well progressed, ahead of an arrival in overseas showrooms – pending any delays – in the middle of next year.
Australian arrival timing is yet to be locked in. However, if history is a guide, new Toyota models are typically in local showrooms six to 12 months after they are unveiled internationally.
The next Toyota Camry is understood to be behind schedule compared to previous generations – arriving seven years after the current model launched, compared to five or six years for previous versions.
This is likely because the Toyota Camry now has less competition in the mid-size sedan segment and can stretch the timeline of the current model before replacing it.
Given Toyota dealers in Australia are currently quoting 12-month wait times for the Camry Hybrid, some buyers in the queue today could find themselves taking delivery of the next-generation model.
Toyota dealers began advising customers in writing from the middle of 2022 the final price of their vehicle – and the standard equipment – are subject to change.
The long lead times have meant car companies are now starting to pass-on increased manufacturing and transport costs.
As a result, some customers that order today could be able to have their order converted to the next model in two years from now – with a different set of model grades, standard equipment levels, engines and prices.
Few details are known about the next-generation Toyota Camry, however given sales of traditional sedans are declining globally, it is likely to be an evolution of the model it replaces.
That means it is likely to drape new bodywork – drawing cues from other recent Toyota models – over an upgraded version of the ‘TNGA-K’ architecture below the car in showrooms today. The car’s styling has been imagined at the top of story by digital artist Theottle.
The Camry is among a shrinking number of Toyota cars left in showrooms that have not upgraded to the company’s latest technology, with a new infotainment system, larger touchscreens, and improved connected-car technology.
It is unclear if is reserving these upgrades for the next model, or if they will be introduced to the current car in one final model-year update within the next 12 months.
In Australia, 80.2 per cent of Camry sedans sold in 2022 used hybrid power – so the next-generation model may place more focus on this version, with fewer standard petrol-engined models.
However, standard petrol versions are likely to remain, as only 15 per cent of Camrys sold in the US are hybrids.
When the current Camry arrived in Australia in late 2017, three of the nine model grades available were hybrids – and two petrol engines were available across most of the range, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder and a 3.5-litre V6.
The popularity of hybrid versions – and the axing of the petrol V6 in early 2021 – has meant four of the five model grades are electrified, and regular petrol power is only available in the base-model Ascent.
Meanwhile, overseas versions of the new Camry are likely to ditch the current model’s 3.5-litre non-turbo petrol V6 for a newer 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, mirroring the switch made in the related Toyota Kluger family SUV for 2023.
The 3.5-litre V6 was axed from the Australian Camry range in 2021 after it accounted for only 1 per cent of sales – and that the vast majority of Camrys sold locally are hybrids means Toyota Australia may even be considering taking the whole Camry range hybrid-only.
If the new model offers more technology, more frugal hybrid power and a larger body, expect prices to rise over the current model, which costs $32,490 to $48,490 plus on-road costs after a price increase on January 1 (as previously reported by Drive).
The expected arrival date of mid 2024 seen by Drive for the new Toyota Camry aligns with information published in a report by US automotive insights firm Auto Forecast Solutions.
The firm claims production is due to start in April 2024 in the US – however no date is given for when manufacturing will commence in Japan, where Australia’s Camrys are built.
As reported by Drive, the Toyota Camry lost its 28-year winning streak in the mid-size sedan category to the Tesla Model 3 electric car last year.
The post Next-generation Toyota Camry due in 2024 appeared first on Drive.
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